


Sacrifice

by SongofThunder



Series: Zelink Month 2018 from tfloosh [4]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-06-24 02:46:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15620823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SongofThunder/pseuds/SongofThunder
Summary: If he died, she would run.





	Sacrifice

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Announcing Zelink Month August 2018](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/404838) by tfloosh. 



> I'm not proud of this.

“ _ No!” _

She pulled him away, narrowly missing a Guardian beam. “Link! Go!”

But he couldn't. Her life meant more than his.

“I am,” he breathed, pausing between labored breaths, “obligated to stay with you.”

“I order you to save yourself!”

“With all due- ZELDA!”

He barreled her out of the way, threw himself over her to shield her from the blue heat of the Guardian blast. And it still charred his skin and blasted them off their feet.

“Link!” Zelda ran to him, and he winced as she ran practiced, trembling hands over him.

“Link, you've broken your ribs- your arm is badly bruised-” She cupped his face in her hands. “I beg you, save yourself!”

He touched her face, and time slowed down. “Your life is more important.”

“Me?” He realized she was crying, and the pristine, crystal tears left tracks down her cheeks. “I'm a failure. Heir to a throne of nothing.”

He could see how much that hurt her- admitting that she had failed.

“You-”

And time sped up; he yanked her out of the way as a Guardian nearly stepped on them.

She sobbed as he pulled her away, slashed at enemy after enemy. “Urbosa and Mipha and Daruk and Revali are all dead! Because of me!”

He pulled her closer, both because he couldn't help it, and because it got her away from another set of danger.

She sobbed, he cried silently, whispered prayers to a goddess that had never had the grace to help the princess.

_ His _ princess. Beautiful, smart, bright Zelda who loved her research and the outdoors. His silent princess who was worth dying for.

Another methodical slash. The steps to a bloody, heartless dance forever etched in his mind.

Exhaustion and blood weighed heavy in the back of his mind, and his sword clattered to the ground while still clenched in his fist.

_ They say your name was Fi, and that you were once alive; well, Fi, it's time for me to say farewell. _

He stared up at the Guardian aiming at him- he looked back at Zelda, who was suddenly struck with a horrified look at what he was about to do.

If he were dead, she would run. And she would be safe.

He threw away the fantasy that he would hug her when this was all over. Tell her what he realized at the Spring of Wisdom.

Mechanical, familiar beeps. It wouldn't be long now.

His sacrifice would mean she would live.

He prepared to die-

“ _ No! _ ”

And she was shoving herself in front of him, and he couldn't let her, he'd failed, she was dead, no, no, no-

Except she was alive. Shielding him with a halo of light as out flowed the power she had coveted for so long.

She'd done it. He allowed himself a smile, a very weak smile.

And then he could hold himself up no more and he collapsed.


End file.
